Palghar: Car bonnet rivet leads the police to body of missing social worker

The deceased’s car is removed from a 100-foot-deep pit at an isolated stone mining area in Valsad district

The Local Crime Branch (LCB) of Palghar police recovered the decomposed body of a missing 52-year-old social worker Ashok Dhodi and his car from an isolated stone mining area in Valsad district of Gujarat on Friday.

Ashok was suspected to have been kidnapped by his brother Avinash Dhodi, a member of the liquor mafia, and his gang members on January 20 but the Gholvad police initially registered a missing person's complaint. But after the media highlighted the sensitivity of the case, the cops registered a kidnapping case naming Avinash, Manoj Rajput and Sunil Dhodi as accused.

Ashok Dhodi, the deceased; (right) Avinash Dhodi, the deceased's younger brother and prime suspect. PICS/HANIF PATEL

Ashok's body was found wrapped in a plastic sheet and dumped in the rear seat of the car, which was removed from a 100-foot-deep pit surrounded by rugged terrain at an isolated area of Sarigam town of Umbergaon Taluka in Valsad district. "The body was stuffed in a plastic sack, tied up, and the trunk was bound with rope inside the car," said an LCB officer.

After scanning footage from over 300 CCTV cameras from Palghar to the neighbouring district of Valsad in Gujarat, the LCB sleuths' investigation had nearly reached a dead end. However, the recovery of a bonnet rivet reignited their hopes, prompting a thorough search of the isolated area. This led them to a breakthrough, uncovering the body of the missing man in the blind dumping ground.

The investigation

The Superintendent of Palghar police Balasaheb Patil had formed three teams - two from LCB and one from the Gholvad police - to thoroughly investigate the matter. Initially, the cops arrested four people - Ravindra Morgha, Vishal Gorat, Atish Dumada and Santosh Ghinde. The Gholvad police had also brought Avinash for questioning, but "he [Avinash] somehow managed to escape from the police custody," Akash, the son of the deceased, told mid-day.

The damaged fastener stuck between rocks

The sleuths of LCB-led by inspector Pradeep Patil and his team including API Anil Vhatkar, PSIs Ganpat Sule and Sunil Nalavade and others scanned footage from more than 300 CCTV cameras to inch closer to the spot where Dhodi's body was dumped along with his car and the murder weapons. LCB sources told mid-day that since Avinash was a member of the liquor mafia in Palghar, he was familiar with isolated routes to evade the police."

"But at many places, he was seen driving Ashok's red car and two people were spotted seated in the rear seat. We kept tracking the CCTV footage and reached the Bhilad area," said a source. "There is an isolated stone mining area in Sarigam town where our investigation had almost reached a dead end. A rivet, used to fasten the hood to other parts of Ashok's car, was recovered from the dumping spot. We called in a few local resources for help and the car was removed from a 100-foot-deep pit in the area," an LCB officer said.

The broken rivet

Subsequently, a large team from Palghar police including Superintendent Balasaheb Patil arrived at the spot where two large cranes were brought to remove the car. By this time, the relatives of Ashok were also informed.

‘Accused in Rajasthan?'

Sources in Palghar police told mid-day that one team has been sent to Rajasthan where the absconding accomplices of Avinash, the prime suspect, are believed to be hiding. "This is the handiwork of Avinash and his gang members. To date, four of the seven accused have been arrested and efforts are underway to arrest three others," said a senior officer in Palghar police.

Speaking about the reason behind the murder, the officer said, "This can be confirmed only after we arrest the prime suspect who is the younger brother of the deceased. But during primary investigations, we learnt that the deceased had been making complaints against his brother, who is involved with the liquor mafia. An existing land dispute could be one of the reasons behind the murder."